UNCA’s new Millennial Campus Advisory Committee has been tasked with matters concerning the development of campus and the woods on campus; students have said they don’t trust this committee.
This Millennial Campus Advisory Committee has some students concerned, noting the fact that only one member of this committee is a faculty member at UNCA.
“It is mostly people who are developers or, in some way, large donors to the university,” said Cheyton Hall, a student at UNCA and a member of the UNCA College Democrats.
Students say this type of demographic is not proper representation of students or campus culture.
“It’s not particularly representative of the larger community,” said Hall.
Some students say they don’t feel these committee members are qualified or connected to campus enough and therefore might not have the best know-how or UNCA’s best interests at heart.
“There are no community members on it and I’m not just talking like community members that live in the community. I’m talking about experts in our community,” said Brooke Pederson, a UNCA student and a member of the Student Action Coalition.
Administration never thought it would get this much recoil for its plans on campus. Both Rogan and Hall claim to have proof that campus administration thought all of this would not concern students.
“So, we do have this on record. Essentially, they didn’t expect the response they would get. They sort of thought this would fly through,” said Hall.
Students say their lack of input concerning issues on campus is a decision made by the administration to keep campus profitable.
“I think if the students had more input, they wouldn’t get their money,” said Neely Rogan, a UNCA student and a member of the UNCA College Democrats.
Students have started doubting whether they have any power to change anything concerning the woods on campus. Many have started losing their will to fight.
“They’re losing hope,” said Rogan. This apparently is the consensus among some student groups as well. “I’ve heard that sentiment from a couple of students and groups, essentially, what is the point of fighting for this?” said Hall.
Students question not just this committee and its members but also the Board of Trustees.
“Why are people on the Board of Trustees or the Board of Governors, why are their personal companies getting involved with decisions being made at the university?” said Rory Killian, UNCA student, former member of SGA and former writer with The Red Banner.
Killian has written articles in the past for The Red Banner investigating this question, which show that students have a distrust of those who make decisions for the campus.
